Social Change Through Texts

By

Marshall Heyman

Aug. 20, 2012 11:22 p.m. ET

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—Los Angeles is probably one of the only American cities that advertises airplane hangars as event spaces. According to its website, the 35,000-square-foot Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica Airport "is one of the biggest and most versatile venues" in town, playing "host to some of the most exclusive events in Southern California."

Exclusive would be the wrong word to describe Sunday's Do Something Awards, which will be broadcast on Tuesday on VH1. These awards—in the shape of a...